Cricket World Cup: How do England stand before this summer’s tournament?

Underneath Eoin Morgan, England luxuriate in moved to the head of the enviornment one-day rankings

The contrasting arguments as to whether England will or will no longer take the World Cup on dwelling soil this summer season luxuriate in been crystallised in the home of two matches in three days in the West Indies.

These in the ‘for certain will take it’ camp will reference Wednesday’s spectacular victory in the fourth one-day international in Grenada, which saw England post 418-6 – the highlight being Jos Buttler’s impossible 150 off ultimate 77 balls.

And these in the ‘for certain would possibly merely no longer take it’ camp saw their argument validated in the fifth ODI on Saturday as England luxuriate in been bowled out for 113 sooner than the hosts knocked off their exiguous target in precisely 12.1 overs.

Only a pair of subscribe to an belief someplace in the center.

Here BBC Sport picks thru the wreckage of England’s most modern defeat – which used to be labelled “embarrassing” by coach Trevor Bayliss – sooner than assessing a pair of of the the clarification why it’ll also yet be English cricket’s most memorable white-ball summer season.

TMS podcast: England luxuriate in been unpleasant – Bayliss

England undone by bouncing ball

When England luxuriate in been bowled out for 113 in the closing match of their final ODI series in a foreign country sooner than the World Cup (they’ve any other eight ODIs to play – at the side of one in Ireland – sooner than the match begins for honest on 30 May well presumably), few would possibly luxuriate in acknowledged they luxuriate in been stunned.

“The gulf between our gorgeous matches on this series and our spoiled one is colossal,” Bayliss suggested the Check Match Particular podcast.

“We luxuriate in been making an strive to be more constant but today time used to be a truly unhappy performance. The one clarification is that this wicket is the kind we do no longer play a lot on – it had just a few soar in it.

“There’s no wickets admire this in England. It used to be the steepness of the soar which we do no longer frequently obtain to face.

“After only a pair of overs and a pair of wickets it used to be evident with the bouncing ball, we would possibly well luxuriate in to let a pair of dash and a score of 200 would behold us honest in the match.

“We ultimate went out and carried on enjoying precisely the identical and made the identical mistakes and obtained the identical outcome.

“I’ve considered the guys upset sooner than but in the changing room today time I obtain there’s relatively of embarrassment.”

Bayliss’ frustration stems from the truth this has came about sooner than.

Final summer season England lost towards Scotland, whereas in 2017 they fell flat in the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy after a 100% legend in the group stage – Pakistan bowling out the match hosts for 211 as England’s batsmen struggled to adapt to the slower cases.

Speaking after that match, captain Eoin Morgan acknowledged: “The true fact we luxuriate in produced ultimate performances on this match after which performed admire that on this wicket is extremely disappointing.”

Additionally that summer season, England had fallen to 20-6 in an ODI towards South Africa at Lord’s as their high expose continually performed ill-suggested shots towards the swinging ball.

Does it all sound familiar?

But are no longer England untouchable on their day?

England are favourites to take the World Cup this summer season, in spite of having failed to take a knockout match in the 50-over competition since 1992.

“Assorted americans luxuriate in set us down as favourites for the World Cup – and likely, we are one amongst the favourites – but 5 or six groups would possibly take the match,” Bayliss acknowledged.

But why fabricate they elevate such expectation?

Put merely, they in general score more than someone else and at a sooner price. Bowling lustrous, no one has taken more wickets in a single-day cricket for the reason that final World Cup than leg-spinner Adil Rashid.

As a batting unit, they stand head and shoulders above the assist – no other group of workers can boast a runs per over moderate in scheme over six for the reason that final World Cup in 2015.

And individually, in accordance with strike-price (moderate runs per 100 balls faced), they’ve six batsmen in the head 10 in the enviornment for the reason that final World Cup.

World’s quickest-scoring one-day batsmen since final World Cup

Suits

Runs

Moderate

Strike-price (runs per 100 balls)

Sixes

Qualification: 1,500 ODI runs since 30 March 2015

J Buttler (England)

72

2107

49.00

123.07

75

AB de Villiers (South Africa)

41

1636

52.77

111.90

44

J Bairstow (England)

52

1999

forty eight.75

107.35

43

J Roy (England)

73

2661

38.56

105.51

Forty five

D Warner (Australia)

44

2296

56.00

103.75

38

Q de Kock (South Africa)

57

2618

forty eight.forty eight

ninety 9.77

44

A Hales (England)

61

2229

40.52

97.72

47

V Kohli (India)

65

4040

seventy 9.21

97.67

54

B Stokes (England)

55

1806

46.30

97.46

54

E Morgan (Eng)

76

2875

Forty five.63

97.16

93

But is such an attacking mindset also their Achilles heel?

Ragged England captain Michael Vaughan believes so, telling BBC Radio 5 reside on Monday: “England, I demand, will build in the head four at the World Cup. I luxuriate in them as favourites to take the World Cup.

“They’ve obtained the entirety by the exercise of capability. They’ve the entirety that is required apart from the truth they’re inclined to a second of madness.”

That second of madness materialised ultimate days later in St Lucia, and Vaughan tweeted: “I never obtained a World Cup – didn’t obtain shut – but observing groups who fabricate take World Cups, they achieve no longer ultimate whack it the total time on all surfaces.

“They play lustrous, suave cricket. This England World Cup marketing campaign desires a realisation check that they desire to add smartness!”

Cricket World Cup 2019 fixtures

Which belief ought to aloof we are looking ahead to?

Each and each facet of the argument are persuasive. And, it goes without asserting, subjective.

England captain Morgan is particular such blips are constructing up a muscle memory-model data bank that would possibly merely assist his squad this summer season.

Speaking on Saturday, he acknowledged: “We don’t play on surfaces admire that too that always, which leans us to more of a studying mentality of how will we obtain better at this if we fabricate come up towards it in the World Cup if it’s a hot summer season at dwelling (pitches in general radically change drier, sooner and bouncier if the climate is hotter).

“Within the past when now we luxuriate in lost on wickets now we luxuriate in no longer been feeble to, now we luxuriate in obtained better the more we performed on them. That is an encouraging trace.

“On today time’s performance now we luxuriate in obtained to explore at it as a studying curve for the reason that mistakes we made… we won’t construct them yet again.”